Tuesday night`s masturbation workshop

Catholic school is probably not the best place to learn about touching yourself. In fact, it really is the worst place. But, one cannot escape their own origins, and the fact that I had lived a full nineteen years without `self-pollution` is just one of my little quirks. But deep inside this masturbation virgin was a girl who was jealous. I was jealous of the girls who could watch the `Vagina Monologues` without blushing furiously and leaving the room: the kind of girl who could say words like `cooch` and clitoris. I wanted to be a FAC woman, one of those liberated women that Sister Beatrice talked about with narrowed eyes. So when posters for the masturbation workshop in Loose Lounge started going up in loggias, I felt a little tug. But was I, this little Catholic, ready to open myself up? I was okay with loving my body, but loving my body, by myself? My mind was torn until they sent out an e-mail promising there would be no mats or mirrors involved. Then I just decided to go. Nearly 200 Grinnell women showed up for the estrogen-only event in Loose Lounge on Tuesday night. Nervous giggles abounded. Kate Strangio `04 and Bea Menedez `04 introduced themselves as our fearless and fervent leaders. After settling in we got a diagram of a vulva, something we definitely skipped in my abstinence-only sex education. And yes, I did feel stupid when I could not accurately identify a vagina despite having walked around with one for my entire life. We were briefed on the four-yes, four-stages of the orgasm. Menendez told us there were `infinite numbers of ways for you to get yourself off.` An attractive idea to someone who knew none. Then we got to the good stuff: from expounding on the wonders of `The Rabbit` to alternate uses for Crest vibrating toothbrushes and issues of frequency. The Question and Answer session was wonderfully open and honest, and after the initial embarrassment of asking a question that started, `My priest told me :` even I was comfortable. Among the discussion and story sharing were murmurs of `You masturbate daily? Cool.` `Women don`t talk about masturbation,` Strangio said, `we need to make it un-taboo.` After seeing a roomful of women talking about the ins and outs of self-pleasure, I could hardly assume they had not accomplished their goal. The experience was comfortable, affirming and fun in a way that can only be described as quintessentially Grinnell. Even my personal fears were allayed when one brave girl pointed out, `God gave me fingers and a clitoris, I mean, it`s pretty obvious.`